Halep can return to tennis after doping ban reduction to nine months
The former world No. 1 will be able to return to the courts after her four-year ban has been reduced to nine months, a period she has already served.
Good news for Simona Halep. The Romanian star will be able to get back to competition immediately after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her four-year ban for doping should be reduced to just nine months, a period she has already served as part of a provisional suspension.
Halep, who was suspended from October 2022, was banned for four years in September 2023 for two breaches of anti-doping rules by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The ITIA had charged Halep for a prohibited substance (Roxadustat), which was detected in a urine sample collected during the 2022 US Open, and for an allegation that Simona Halep’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), in particular a blood sample provided by her on September 22, 2022, established the use of a prohibited substance and/or a prohibited method.
The two-time major champion appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which announced that Halep’s ban was reduced from four years to nine months.
Halep reveals her relief through a statement
The former world No. 1 will now be able to resume her career and take part in competitions to try to get back to her best.
The 32-year-old player shared her happiness and relief in a statement after the CAS delivered the verdict.
“Throughout this long and difficult process, I have maintained my belief that the truth will eventually come out and that a fair decision will be reached because I am and always have been a clean athlete”.
“My faith in this process has been tested by the outrageous allegations that have been brought against me and the seemingly unlimited resources that have been aligned against me. But in the end, the truth prevailed, even if it took a lot longer than I would have liked”.
“I would like to thank my lawyers who stood by me and believed in me from the beginning; and most importantly, I want to thank my sponsors, fans, and competitors who have stuck by me through this long and difficult process. I can’t wait to get back on the circuit”.
Halep last played an official match in the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the opening round to the Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur in three sets.